Information for Soccer Referees in the United States
Archive for May, 2008
Position Paper: Passback Violation
1356 days
A new position paper talking about the passback violation:
Passback Violation Position Paper
In this example, the offense must be properly understood in the following terms:
• The ball was clearly kicked by a Toronto defender
• The ball was neither deflected nor accidentally misdirected — that is, the pass was deliberate
• It is irrelevant that the pass was arguably not to the goalkeeper
• The goalkeeper clearly handled the ball directly from the kick by his teammate
• Instead of playing the ball in some other way, the goalkeeper chose to handle it, thus removing the ball from active challenge by the Columbus attacker
Referees must be alert to the possibility of even uncommon offenses such as this.
The requirements of the “iron triangle” (played by the teammate’s foot, deliberate action,
goalkeeper directly handling) were met and the violation should have been called.
Memo: Revised AR Flag Mechanics
1361 days
A revision of the AR flag mechanics has been released:
Basically, in two instances, the AR will now hold the flag like this:
The AR will use this signal when:
- The referee has signaled a foul and makes obvious eye contact with the assistant referee for advice on whether the offense occurred inside the penalty area.
- During a penalty kick, the AR indicates that the goalkeeper has moved illegally and, as a result, a goal was not scored.
Memo: 2008 Additional Instructions
The 2008 Additional Instructions and Guidelines for Referees and Assistant Referees has been published.
This document replaces the Instructions for Referees and Resolutions Affecting Team Coaches and Players, formerly issued for Regional and National Cup Competitions and Tournaments. It will be updated annually to reflect changes in the Laws of the Game and memoranda, circulars, or positions papers issued by FIFA and the U. S. Soccer Federation. The information is taken from the Additional Instructions and Guidelines for Referees and Assistant Referees published in the FIFA edition of the Laws of the Game.
Podcast: MLS 2008 Week 7
1362 days
A podcast from US Soccer with Director of Referee Development Paul Tamberino and Manager of Assessment and Training Brian Hall. Their review topics include:
- Bench control
- Tactical Fouls
- Positioning for the AR
Podcast: MLS 2008 Week 6
1368 days
A podcast from US Soccer with Director of Referee Development Paul Tamberino and Alfred Kleinaitis, Manager of Referee Development & Education. Click the audio link below to listen.
Memo: 7 Cautionable + 7 Sending-Off Offenses
1375 days
This is the 2008 7 Cautionable + 7 Sending-Off Offenses memo.
Also available in Spanish.